TITLE:
Coronavirus Infection during Pregnancy: A 1-Year Experience among Pregnant Egyptian Women
AUTHORS:
Eman Aly Abd El Fattah
KEYWORDS:
Pregnancy, COVID-19, Fetus, Neonatal Infection
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.12 No.5,
May
11,
2022
ABSTRACT: Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of COVID-19 on fetal well-being
and perinatal outcomes. Methods: Pregnant
women with documented COVID-19 infection who visited the antenatal care clinic of
El Shatby Maternity Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt, from May 2020 to May 2021 were selected
and classified into three groups according to the illness severity: mild, moderate,
and severe. Fetal well-being was examined using the umbilical and cerebral Doppler
and nonstress test (NST). The estimated fetal weight and amniotic fluid volume were
also evaluated. After delivery, the neonates were evaluated through Apgar scoring
at 1 and 5 min, cord blood samples, and neonatal nasopharyngeal swabs. Results: Abnormal umbilical and cerebral
Doppler findings, abnormal NST results, higher incidence of cesarean section (CS)
and emergency CS, and poor perinatal outcomes were observed in severe cases. Moderate
and mild maternal infections had neither an adverse perinatal outcome nor an effect
on the mode of delivery. Conclusion: Severe
COVID-19 infection can affect the perinatal outcome.